


I'll Make You See in a New Light

by isleysister



Category: Still Star-Crossed (TV)
Genre: Casual Sex, F/M, Modern AU, Pining, Someone Help Them, that's actually not so casual
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-20
Updated: 2018-03-01
Packaged: 2019-03-21 22:31:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13750548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isleysister/pseuds/isleysister
Summary: Just random rosvolio moments





	1. Control

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from the song Stay Awake, Wait for me by Jessie Ware!

She shouldn’t be here. She should be leaving soon. She’d never dared to stay too long at Ben’s after nights like the last.

Staying was dangerous. Staying would mean finally admitting she wanted more than to just sleep together. Staying would be breaking the rule.

Sleeping together was merely stress relief. A source of inspiration even.

Writer’s block? Sex with Ben. Exam anxiety? Sex with Ben. Hell, boredom? Sex with Ben.

And it didn’t mean anything. At least that’s what Rosaline tried to tell herself.

But right now, that couldn’t seem farther from the truth.

Sunlight peeked in through the curtains, falling delicately across Ben’s face. Rosaline brushed her fingers up and down his jaw, her head on his chest listening to his heartbeat.

The sight of his face, so soft and worry-free in his sleep, kept her frozen on the bed. The last thing she wanted to do was leave.

More than anything she wanted to stay wrapped up in his bed. Stay pressing her cheek into his shoulder, his arm wrapped around her waist. She wanted to let the white sheets swallow them up and make the world around them disappear. Maybe they would take the rules with them.

 _The rules that you made up_ , Rosaline’s brain helpfully supplied.

Rosaline sighed and dragged her eyes away from Ben’s face. The sight was becoming too much.  Everything was getting too close, too intimate. She stared up at the ceiling and tried to ignore the ache in her chest.

Benvolio began to wake up. He yawned and stretched out, careful to not disturb Rosaline’s position on his chest.

 _This is stupid_ , Rosaline thought.  _How bad could it possibly be if I stayed a little longer?_

She was an adult who could make her own decisions. She could handle this. She could keep it under control. It’s just Ben.  

That thought immediately crumbled into a thousand pieces as soon as Ben turned to face her and gave her one of those special smiles. Those smiles that were a little too soft around the edges. A smile she wished so badly was only for her.

“Capulet,” he greeted her, as he moved to kiss her cheek.

Rosaline’s heart stuttered, and her body felt like it had been shocked. She needed to go.  

She gave Benvolio a shaky smile and jumped out of bed. He gave her a confused look, thrown off by the sudden movement.

“Ben, I gotta go,” she explained as she put a foot in one leg of pink sweats on the floor.

“What’s up?” he asked with an adorably sleepy scrub of his face.

“I have a, uh, a thing,” she replied, internally smacking herself in the face.  _Damn it_ , she was smoother than this.

“A thing?” Benvolio asked. He sat up causing the sheets to pool around his waist, revealing his bare chest. Rosaline swallowed and stared with only one leg fully in the pants.

“Yeah, a professor meeting thing,” Rosaline said, shaking her head and continuing to battle her pants for dominance. She hoped Ben was still too addled with sleep to question further.

She finally finished putting her pants on and eventually managed to pull on a baggy t-shirt as well. She made to grab her phone off the nightstand on the side of the bed.

Benvolio reached out for her before she could step away. His stormy eyes met hers, making her lose her breath.

“Are you sure everything’s alright, Capulet?” he asked with a worried frown. “It wasn’t anything I did, right? Because you can tell me. Hell, I’ve never known you to be quiet about correcting me.”

He laughed good-naturedly, but she saw the nervousness in his shifting eyes. How funny. Benvolio was worried that  _he_  had done something wrong.

And in a way, he had. Really, he had done everything wrong last night.

He had used that god-awful smile on her. He laughed at her stupid jokes. He humored her while she binged watch three weeks worth of Scandal episodes. He danced with her in the kitchen to that song he swore he hated but she loved. And then he kissed her so sweetly and took her to bed.  

 _Who does that?_  Rosaline thought bitterly.  _The nerve._   

“Rosaline?” Ben asked again, making Rosaline realize she still hadn’t replied.

“No, Ben, everything’s fine. I’m just going to be late for this meeting, so I really should be leaving now!” she said a little too cheerily, gently taking his hand off her arm and placing it back onto the bed. She tried her best to ignore how cold her arm felt without his warmth.

Benvolio simply nodded and slumped back down in bed. If he suspected anything, Rosaline couldn’t tell.

“I’ll be right here if you need me,” he said with a small salute, closing his eyes.

Rosaline began to nod back until she realized he couldn’t see her anymore. Heat rose in her face, and she held back a curse.

She hastily walked out of his room, trying her best to not run out of there as fast as she could. Closing Ben’s apartment door with a slam, Rosaline looked down at herself to evaluate her state of mess and did a double take.

In her shuffle out of his room, she had accidentally put on Ben’s shirt.

Rosaline groaned and slid down onto the hallway floor.  _I’m so screwed_ , she thought with head in her hands.  _And it’s all my fault._


	2. Wherever You're Going, I'm Going that Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benvolio had turned down Merc and Romeo’s offer to get a few drinks, and the open slot for teaching a class at the art studio. He even took an earlier afternoon shift at the bar. All so he would be right there. But it was already 11 o’clock and she still hadn’t called.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from Moon River, but Frank Ocean's version (which is imo the only valid version).  
> Hmu on tumblr @stillnotoverstillstarcrossed

Benvolio was hopeless. His fingers tapped incessantly on his phone screen, doing the same thing he’d done for the last 20 minutes. Turning it on. Off. On. Off. The glowing white numbers that read the time seemed to be taunting him.

It was already 11 o’clock and she still hadn’t called.

And here he was, pathetically lying upside down on the gross couch Mercutio mooched off some garage sale in South Central. Benvolio had turned down Merc and Romeo’s offer to get a few drinks, and the open slot for teaching a class at the art studio. He even took an earlier afternoon shift at the bar. All so he would be right there when she called.

At first, Benvolio felt rather proud of himself for taking care of business so quickly. Clearing his whole schedule the day before seemed like a very grown-up thing to do. But now he just felt foolish.

Perhaps she meant “I’ll call you” in passing. Maybe he’d over-anticipated the meaning of the call altogether. For one thing, Rosaline didn’t even owe him a call at all. Because they weren’t exclusive. Because he wasn’t her boyfriend. He knew that.

Rosaline had made that very clear after that first night all those weeks ago. The night Rosaline had let him in for some coffee and conversation. At some point their conversation turned dangerously intimate. But Benvolio figured being as worn out as they were, a venting session was bound to happen. She had spoken softer than he’d ever heard her speak. Her skin had glowed in the moonlight that fell through the paned windows. One thing led to another and he woke up wrapped around her, her warm skin heating him to his core.

But before he could even flash her a smile or press a kiss into her shoulder, she told him she didn’t need anything serious. That this wasn’t going anywhere. Just some fun.

Benvolio nodded as casually as he could and agreed. And at the time, he probably thought he wanted that too. But Benvolio knew himself well enough to know that he fell hard and fast. Much too hard and fast to be trusted with this situation. He should’ve stopped this the moment Rosaline warned him.

But he stayed. That was in January, a cold and lonely month. Maybe that’s why this whole thing between them was ever allowed to happen. Convenience. He lived across the hall. He just happened to be nearby when Rosaline needed someone.

He didn’t particularly mind being needed by Rosaline. He didn’t mind at all. There was just a part of him that wished she needed _him_ , Benvolio, not just a warm body.

Benvolio's phone was now laid face down on his chest. Still as bare and as dry as it was 20 minutes ago. Benvolio sighed and lifted himself off the grimy couch. _Why waste time waiting up for a girl a whole country away who probably forgot about you when you could get a few hours of desperately needed sleep?_ he reasoned. _That’s not a sad use of my time at all._

Benvolio stretched his arms out, loosening his stiff muscles from his awkward position. He made his way to the bathroom to prepare for bed. After a quick and rather melancholy brushing of his teeth, he tread to his room.

He tossed off his shirt and jeans and threw himself on the bed, hastily getting under the covers. He tried his best to ignore the thoughts of Rosaline, who's figure had laid here just a few days ago before she had left for New York.

_“Don’t think that once I leave, you and Mercutio can just watch Scandal without me. I swear our friendship will be over,” she had said, with a scrutinizing look on her face. Benvolio’s white sheets wrapped around her chest and her curls splayed wildly over her face._

_“Capulet, I wouldn’t dare. Besides, Olivia Pope is no fun unless your constant criticisms about her wine addiction and so-called ‘white-man problem’ accompany her.”_

_Rosaline threw her head back and laughed. She shoved Benvolio playfully at his cheeky use of her own term._

_“You’re not allowed to say white-man problem, Benvolio, because you, yourself, are a white-man problem.”_

_“Your words, not mine.” He shrugged before he wrapped his arms back around her. She closed her eyes and muttered something about white boys again under her breath._

Try as he might, the memory still twisted Benvolio’s insides. 

Benvolio tried to close his eyes again and push all Rosaline thoughts from his mind. As soon as he found himself finally drifting off, his phone rang.

Benvolio jumped up fast, glad no one was there to see his embarrassingly quick reaction time. He scrambled for his phone, almost knocking over everything else on the nightstand in the process.

The screen’s bright light made him squint, unable to make out the words for a few seconds. Once his eyes focused, he didn’t hesitate to hit the answer button. It was Rosaline.

“Hello?” Benvolio answered breathily.

“Benvolio? Were you sleeping? Why is it so dark?”

Benvolio stuttered out an apology and reached to turn on a bedside lamp.

“Better?” he asked, hoping he sounded more put together now that he'd caught his breath.

“Better.” Rosaline said with a soft smile. Benvolio took in her appearance through the small screen. Her hair was wrapped up in a bun and she was wearing an old t-shirt Benvolio had seen a few times on his bedroom floor. She seemed to be outside somewhere, most likely extremely high up, as there were city lights lined up at her shoulder. She looked wide awake, despite the time there being ahead of L.A.

“Sorry I called so late, we got caught up.”

Benvolio’s cheeks heated up slightly. Her apology only reminded him of his recent dramatic episode on the couch. That was a short but depressing time of his life that he really would like to forget. 

“Where are you?” he asked, trying to move the topic along.

“You’ll never guess.”  
Benvolio nodded nonchalantly.  
“Yeah, I probably won’t.”

Rosaline rolled her eyes.

“You’re no fun.”

Benvolio shrugged. A fond smile reached his face at the sight of her frowning lips.

“Maybe. But tell me.”

“Well, the hotel we were originally booked at had a little mouse problem. Guess who got transferred to the 4 Season’s Hotel as an apology for the inconvenience? We did!”

In the background, Benvolio heard a “Hell yeah we did!” which could only be Juliet. Another voice could be heard saying “Hi, Benny boy!”. It was followed by a glimpse of Livia’s face popping up behind Rosaline’s shoulder. Isabella also joined in, wiggling her eyebrows and putting up a peace sign when she entered the frame. Benvolio simply smiled and waved back.

Rosaline shooed them away and looked back at him, waiting for his response.

“Congratulations, Capulet, you’re rubbing elbows with the elite now. Better be careful before a rich boy comes and tries to sweep you up.”

“I already have a rich boy, Montague. Don’t act like you’re so far removed from the life of glamor when you literally owned a Mercedes Benz in high school.”

Rosaline beamed challengingly at Benvolio. He inhaled at the mention of being “hers” but quickly recovered.

“I left the life of luxury behind a long time ago. No more Mercedes Benz for me. I’ve been enlightened. I’ll stick to renting the tourist bikes.”

Rosaline scoffed. “Whatever you say, Ben.” The familiar nickname never ceased to make Benvolio’s chest squeeze.

“Now tell me, Rosaline. How’s the trip going?”

Rosaline told him the events of their first 2 days in the city with a bright grin and wide eyes. He knew that Livia, Juliet, and Isabella had taken great pains to convince Rosaline to actually take her head out of her books for spring break. Rosaline needed it. Benvolio was happy to see her so excited for once and not anxious over the next paper or the coming exam.

“But enough about me. Montague, how have you been? Is Mercutio still alive?  Did Romeo cry every 5 minutes over Juliet’s tragic absence?”

“I’m good. I’m assuming Merc is still breathing, but I haven’t seen him or Romeo. They headed out to some club.”

“Aw, did poor Benvolio get left out of the fun?” she teased in an unexpected baby voice. “Now you know what it's like to be the one who stays home while everyone else goes out. How’s it feel?”

Benvolio took in Rosaline’s amused face. Her soft lips were lifted in a smile. Her dark eyes seemed to be beckoning him to a city miles and miles away. He felt a surge of bravery run through his spine.

“Actually, Capulet I turned them down. I wanted to be here when you called.”

Rosaline was visibly taken off guard, as her mouth slightly dropped open and she didn’t respond immediately with some light joke. Benvolio swallowed and anxiously tapped his fingers against his side.

“Well, I’m really glad you picked up, Ben.” Rosaline answered back, her initial shock replaced with an inquiring, but kind, gaze.  
Benvolio could only stare back, lost in her eyes that even over the grainy connection seemed to shine clear as day. He fingers itched for a pencil and his sketchbook.

“Rosaline, come on, the pool closes in an hour!” screamed Juliet from a distance.

Their moment was promptly ended, and Rosaline sighed.

“I’ve been summoned,” she said in a grave voice as Isabella and Livia’s giggles sounded in the background.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow at a much earlier time. I swear.”

“I’ll be waiting,” Benvolio answered quietly, half-hoping Rosaline hadn’t heard, half-hoping she had.

She apparently had, as she responded, “I sure hope so.”

Rosaline’s eyes met his one last time. “Goodnight, Ben.”

The phone buzzed, ending the call. With a resounding thud, Benvolio dropped his phone onto his chest. His lips slowly lifted in an easy grin. Maybe he wasn’t so hopeless after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! comments are very much appreciated!


	3. We're Just Laughing As We Lose Our Minds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes Rosaline’s main motivator was simply knowing that by Sunday morning she’d wake wrapped up in his arms and extremely satisfied. Just today, Rosaline had been thinking of wrapping her legs around him, sitting through lecture after lecture, barely able to wait till- Nope. Studying came first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from The Thrill by Miguel  
> hmu @stillnotoverstillstarcrossed!

Rosaline swung the door open, not even waiting for Benvolio’s knock.

And just as she expected, there he stood, arm raised in pre-knocking motion with a smug expression on his face. His curls were ruffled and pointing every which way, making him looked disheveled. He was still in his all black work clothes, most likely because he had just gotten home less than an hour ago. The small bags under his eyes made look even more exhausted, yet he was still energized enough to distract Rosaline from her studying.

“Montague,” Rosaline began, taking a deep breath. She added some bite to her voice, but if Rosaline was honest, she looked forward to Benvolio’s company these days. Living in Berkeley by herself grew lonesome at times. Benvolio moving in just down the hall had kept her sane. Well, not at first. But after some initial conflict and bad neighbor etiquette, they’d drawn a truce.

Both of their lives were hard enough. Why add more nonsense?

Ever since then, Rosaline and Benvolio had developed a mutual understanding of each other’s boundaries…and bodies. Rosaline had to admit, getting a sexual relationship out of this was also a major benefit. Benvolio was surprisingly very interested and very good in bed. They had chemistry. Chemistry that made Rosaline’s heart race just thinking about the last time… and the last… and the time before that. Sometimes Rosaline’s main motivator for making it to the end of the week was simply knowing that by Sunday morning she’d wake wrapped up in his arms and extremely satisfied.

Just today, Rosaline had been thinking of wrapping her legs around him, sitting through lecture after lecture, barely able to wait till- Nope. Studying came first.

“Tonight’s not going to work. I have to review for my exam.”

Benvolio’s smug smile fell into a confused frown. Lines formed on his forehead and he turned his head sideways.

“Capulet, you just said your study group left.”

Rosaline nodded slowly and leaned against the door frame.

“Because it was true. But I need to review some _more_. Benvolio, I know you dropped out a while ago, but it can’t have been that long. Surely you still remember at least being a little overwhelmed in the short time you went to class?”

Benvolio’s smile returned, his thin lips curling upwards.

“Those are dark days that I don’t like to remember. But no matter, Capulet. I can help you study. “

Rosaline scoffed.

“You would help me go over my flashcards on A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the next 2 hours? On a Friday night? You’d do that instead of something relatively enjoyable?”

“Capulet, I make everything enjoyable. My presence adds it in by default.”

Rosaline rolled her eyes and moved to close the door. She was losing precious Quizlet minutes.

“Wait, wait, wait!”

Benvolio slid his chest in between the door before she could shut it.

Rosaline eased up her force. She raised her eyebrows, prodding him to respond.

“I meant what I said. I’ll help you.”

“In exchange for?”

Benvolio scrunched up his nose in disdain. Rosaline couldn’t help but smile at his childlike reaction.

“Nothing. Can’t I just…be with you? I know this isn’t saying much but studying with you and eating the mini vanilla yogurts in your fridge sounds a lot better than just going back to my shithole of an apartment alone.”

Rosaline was taken aback by his sudden moment of honesty. She didn’t want to admit it, but the fact that he simply wanted to be around her warmed Rosaline to the core. She tried to smother the fluttering in her stomach.

“Well, Montague, you say you’re up for it? Let’s get started. Welcome to the University of California Berkeley’s Shakespeare Course.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Stop giggling! I need you to take this seriously, Benvolio!”

Benvolio was shaking with laughter, sprawled out on her carpet. Clearly, his long day really had caught up with him and he was past the point of tired. He was slap-happy.

Benvolio tried to catch his breath and lifted his head back up to meet her eyes.

“Sorry, sorry. It’s just…ass. It’s a bad word, it’s funny.”

Rosaline rolled her eyes for what seemed like the millionth time tonight but couldn’t help but smile back at him. Hearing Benvolio, a grown and moody man, giggle so happily was quite a sight.

“You must be really exhausted if you’re gigging like this,” Rosaline said. “Because the Benvolio I know usually broods around with his sarcastic comments, looking like a grumpy cat.”

Benvolio’s mouth dropped open in offense.

“Capulet, I do not look like a grumpy cat. So rude,” he shook his head as he reached for his yogurt again, seemingly out of much-needed comfort.

He took a small bite, slowly drawing the spoon out of his mouth. He licked his lips and moaned, savoring the vanilla flavor as if it was his first, even though this would be the fifth cup. Rosaline swallowed and tried not to stare at his mouth. They still had a whole other section to review.

Rosaline cleared her throat, pulling Benvolio out of his food-coma.

“Read the next one.”

Benvolio nodded and grabbed the deck of white flashcards again.

“As Act 3, scene 2 ends, what do the audiences see on stage?”

“4 lovers sleeping together in the woods.”

Benvolio shook his head solemnly.

“Wrong answer, Capulet. The correct term is forest foursome. But we’ll give you partial credit for effort.”

Rosaline threw her highlighter at him and missed. Benvolio grinned cheekily in response, not even phased by her juvenile behavior. The dimples forming in his cheeks made her stomach swoop.

“Next!” she requested, trying to push down her longing even more.

“What is Shakespeare trying to convey about love for guys versus girls?”

Rosaline paused and hummed, faking a loss for an answer. Benvolio’s eyebrows raised in surprise.   
“Really? You don’t know? I’m sure everyone has had to learn this sometime in their dating lives, without giving this play a single glance.”

Rosaline smiled and nodded as if she finally understood. She put on her snootiest accent and answered:

“As the garbage-man Chris Brown once said, ‘These hoes ain’t loyal.’”

At first, there was silence. Then Benvolio and Rosaline burst into laughter, leaning forward so closely their heads almost bumped.

“Capulet, please tell me you plan to write that down on the extended response.”

Rosaline ignored him and threw another highlighter. He ducked quickly and continued to laugh. His position on the carpet made his thin undershirt dip much too low, exposing his tempting collar bones, driving Rosaline over the edge.

 

She bit her lip and sighed. She wasn’t going to win this one.

Rosaline rose up off the carpet and walked over to Benvolio, who laid with his legs spread out, back against her couch. His laughing abruptly stopped when she sat in his lap. A ghost of a smile remained on his face though. His eyes darkened with desire as he placed his hands on her hips.

Rosaline heard him exhale when she slowly moved forward to press her lips against his collarbone.

“Is this going to be on the exam?” he asked breathily, fingers making nonsensical patterns on her thighs.

“Shut up, Ben,” she whispered hotly against his neck.  

He simply hummed in response and pulled her body flush against his.

“Though she be but little, she is fierce,” Benvolio uttered as Rosaline began to run her hands underneath his shirt.

Rosaline shoved him away playfully with a chuckle.

“Maybe I should quiz _you_ instead since you seemed to have memorized the play,” she said against his lips.

Benvolio’s hold on her tightened at her suggestion.

“Capulet, that is the last thing I want to do right now. I’d rather spend my time learning something else,” he teased, his eyes traveling up and down her body.

She sighed loudly, readying herself for the cheesy line she was about to spit out to play along with his game.

“You gotta work hard if you want an A,” she said. She was barely able to keep her voice even in her attempt at a low, sultry voice.

“I’ll do extra credit,” Benvolio responded, not even bothering to hide the grin on his face.

They broke out into giggles again, before eventually leaning their foreheads against each other. She gazed into Benvolio’s bright eyes, drowning in the pools of heat that laid in them.

Maybe Rosaline hadn’t gotten any actual studying done tonight but with her fingers scaling the strip of taut skin under Benvolio’s rising shirt and her ribs aching from laughing too much, she couldn’t find it in herself to care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading, comments and kudos are very much appreciated!


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